Roll paper & Slitters

waynecrider · Feb 4, 2006

If roll paper is even available anymore, which it may not be although B&H list it as a special order, I would need a slitter to cut down a roll to be used as a paper film for a project pinhole camera. Has anyone used or seen a design for a slitter?

Nick Zentena · Feb 4, 2006

Colour or B&W? I bet you can find colour paper locally if you want. Freestyle had Kentmere B&W a month or two when I asked.

Do you need to cut both dimensions or just one? I built a simple setup. One end looks like a roll for butcher paper. Then is a basic paper cutter. Cheap thing from the office store. It's mounted square to a board. I then put two surfaced pieces of wood the right distance apart on the board. The wood provides a channel that traps the paper into position. It keeps the paper straight under the cutter no matter what. I tried only using one guide and holding the paper to that side but I just had crooked paper. At the other end I put a stop block. The stop block is the only part that can be moved on mine. It gets adjusted to whatever length I need.

srs5694 · Feb 4, 2006

I bought some cheap RA-4 (color) roll paper on eBay a while ago. I've cut it into sheets using an ordinary paper cutter. I measured out the size I wanted to cut and taped down some scrap paper at that exact distance. (It was actually beyond the width of my paper cutter, so I taped the paper onto a piece of scrap wood I had lying around, fitting the wood against the paper cutter.) I could then pull the paper from the spool, measure by feel, trim, and put the paper into the paper safe. IIRC, it took me about an hour to cut 100 sheets. It would have gone a little quicker if I'd rigged something to hold the roll of paper, but I didn't; I just lifted it and turned it by hand to pull out the paper, then set it down, measured, cut, and repeated.

Phillip P. Dimor · Feb 4, 2006

I've done the same as Nick.. I use a Plastic milk crate with a thick wooden dowel to hold the roll (milk crate is on it's side, paper roll sits in the middle with the dowel through the sides of the milk crate).. I have a piece of wood attached to the baseboard of the cutter, used as a stop for the paper. I can cut about 100 sheets of 5x7" (one cut) paper in about 20 minutes and that is taking my time.

Also, I like to wear cotton gloves. I don't like the idea of greasy fingerprints on unexposed paper..

boyooso · Feb 5, 2006

Look at ebay... search "rollma"

Yes the make automated paper cutters and roll stock is still availblabe, for sure.

Must cutters only cut length... you have a 30" roll you can cut 10X30, 20X30 or whatever length by 30"

There are "X, Y" cutters that can slit the paper as is dispenses the paper too.

I think I saw an X,Y cutter on Ebay, but shipping was going to cost a fortune.

Good Luck!

Corey

pelerin · Feb 5, 2006

Hi,
As Nick noted you don't say whether you want color or b+w. Ilford, Forte and Bergger are all possibilities for b+w paper. Kodak and Fuji can both supply color. What size "film" does your camera need?
Celac.

waynecrider said:
If roll paper is even available anymore, which it may not be although B&H list it as a special order, I would need a slitter to cut down a roll to be used as a paper film for a project pinhole camera. Has anyone used or seen a design for a slitter?

waynecrider · Feb 5, 2006

In response to what kind of paper, I will be buying B&W. Color processing and subsequent printing is too involved for me. I need to cut the width dimension for rolling onto spools and then cut to length. My cameras include a Kodak 1A and a much larger box turned pinhole camera. I would like to be able to turn the spool dragging the paper thru guides and past a razor that can be situated at different widths. Thanks for the help.

pelerin · Feb 5, 2006

waynecrider said:
In response to what kind of paper, I will be buying B&W. Color processing and subsequent printing is too involved for me. I need to cut the width dimension for rolling onto spools and then cut to length. My cameras include a Kodak 1A and a much larger box turned pinhole camera. I would like to be able to turn the spool dragging the paper thru guides and past a razor that can be situated at different widths. Thanks for the help.

There is another way to accomplish what you are after. You can slice the whole roll and the core it is wound on in one step leaving the paper wound on the core. (i.e., section through the core) I think this solution offers a greater promise of precision than inline slitting if you don't have the requisite (and very expensive) industrial equipment. This can be accomplished with either with an industrial guillotine or with a razor saw. The latter sounds crazy but I know from experience that it works.

As far as roll paper goes there are two general categories: mural paper which is usually wound on a wide but relatively short roll (e.g., 30m) and availalble in both fiber and rc, and long roll paper which is used in the production printing of small rc prints. If your camera was close in size to one of the common widths (4,5,6,8,10" etc) it might make your task easier to buy such a roll. You might even be able to buy tailings from a local lab.
Celac.

waynecrider · Feb 6, 2006

pelerin said:
There is another way to accomplish what you are after. You can slice the whole roll and the core it is wound on in one step leaving the paper wound on the core. (i.e., section through the core) I think this solution offers a greater promise of precision than inline slitting if you don't have the requisite (and very expensive) industrial equipment. This can be accomplished with either with an industrial guillotine or with a razor saw. The latter sounds crazy but I know from experience that it works.

HA, the first thing that came to mind was a bandsaw. But really, what kind of expense are you talking about for a now and again thing? I think a slitter with a changeable razor would be a useable idea. How do people cut roll film out of larger sizes?

resummerfield · Feb 6, 2006

The Minox crowd has come up with a pretty good device for slitting 35mm film. You might be able to scale it up for your use. http://www.slonet.org/~mhd/2photo/slitter/build.htm

boyooso · Feb 7, 2006

Seriously look into a rollma. It is an upfront cost, but can help you save in the long run. They are simple, accurate and easy to use. A No Brainer in my opinion.

As an alternative to a band saw a "saws-all" could do a rough job of it, and a simple hack saw could too.

Good Luck,

Corey

pelerin · Feb 7, 2006

waynecrider said:
HA, the first thing that came to mind was a bandsaw. But really, what kind of expense are you talking about for a now and again thing? I think a slitter with a changeable razor would be a useable idea. How do people cut roll film out of larger sizes?

Wayne,
If you want to build a slitter you have my support and admiration. A band saw would probably work fine except for: 1) getting it into the darkroom and 2) obtaining a blade that would leave a clean enough edge. It would certainly make aligning the cutting operation a snap. A razor saw is a Japanese hand saw. Supplier on the web are "Hida Tool" in Berkeley CA and "Japan Woodworker" in Alameda CA. High end hand made models cost a fortune but the inexpensive industrial models with replace-able blades also produce superior results. In hardwood they leave a kerf that requires almost no finishing. I have used one to cut both seamless and photo paper rolled on carboard core and it produces a very clean edge. The US made copies I have tried do not seem to produce the same results. Obviously YMMV.
Celac.

Simon R Galley · Feb 8, 2006

Dear Waynecrider,

Hi, we make loads of Black & White roll paper items, including FB, and its not a secret...we are not the only manufacturers who do, check our product availability list ( PAL ) under the flashing Ikon on the ILFORD.com website : It may be special order at B&H ( or whichever ILFORD stockist you use ) but its normally in stock at our US distributor.

Simon@ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

Roll paper & Slitters

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